CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 OVERVIEW:

This thesis uses the PID controller in designing an actual real life plant to be
future used in the process control in glass industry .PID algorithm is among the latest
technology used in industry application. A plant of controlling water level will implement
PID controller in it’s system. The PID controller will be able to control the inlet and the
smooth transition of water into the tank to satisfy the set parameters by the handler
(human). The program is from the PID controller itself. PID controller is programmed
and the tunings of other manual settings on the whole system uses human interface. Each
steps of designs and verifications process is documented here.

1.2 SYSTEM OVERVIEW:

The Water Level Control Using PID Controller is a design of an intelligent

automatic level measurement system using PID controller. The system will allow users to
measure and set the desired level f water with the PID controller controlling the process
of water flowing into the tank. The system will be connected with a control valve and
level sensor for the control section. The system is able to show the trend of water flowing
into the tank and the responses of the measurements. The PID controller has the ability to
control the trend and specific responses for a smooth transition of the water reaching the
desired level point with the tunings and algorithm parameters entered by the handler
(human) together with safety aspects monitored by the PID controller especially in
hazardous plant.

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENTS:

Measurements have been on the world since the beginning of humans. Every
creation since the beginning starts with measurements. The world today has developed

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 complex and un-imaginable technologies to fulfill the ever demanding of necessities and
needs thus creating at almost possible control of a system. Measurements have become
crucial and higher accuracy is most wanted by now. For an example of oil refinery plant,
overflows of oil can be hazardous, dangerous and costly. Empty vessels lead to pumps or
drain stream processes running dry. Inaccurate measurements in mixtures processes can
lead to product defects and higher costs. Accurate liquid level is vital in the process
industries where inventories, batching and process efficiency are critical measurements.
Human supervision is limited for several hours and the accuracy is almost not perfect.
Hazardous contents of a vessel must be watched carefully everyday without break and
human are not capable of it. Extra workers thus to higher cost are results of these.
Continuous monitoring and adjustments are necessary and important in this type of
situation. Plants have become bigger or smaller and higher or shorter for lower cost and
these developments are above humans’ capabilities. Monitoring and measurements of
these modern processes are almost impossible done by humans. Recent years has shown
the difficulties of controlling the process of contents reaching the desired / specified level
point. Smooth transition and graph responses are now a goal of every high cost modern
plants. Human senses and body control are in large scale to be able to control for example
the opening of the valve into the tank. In this project, the PID controller is proposed and
built into actual plant with model of water level to be monitored. It introduces a better
solution in accurate level measurements and automatic process in bringing water to the
specific given level point (set-point). Not only that, the other crucial figure of smooth
transition of level control can be controlled by the PID controller.

1.4 OBJECTIVES:

The project is called water level control suing PID controller. The PID controller is used
and applied into the system to measure and control the water level in a tank
automatically. The objectives of the project are:

• To fabricate an automatic model water level control using the PID

controller.

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• To build a real scale project model for the usage process control lab.

• To implement the existing PID controller into a control process.

1.5 SCOPES OF PROJECT:

The span of the project is narrowed down in identifying the details of parameters,
settings, tunings and method(s) used in controlling the desired water level. Devices and
engineering of physics in facilitates the required and necessary sensing to the system for
the only purpose of controlling water level in a tank. With the aim of designing real scale
water level control system, this project is facilitated with:

i. Endress+Hauser model type level sensor to sense the water level in a tank.

ii. Flow valve 3000 series model type control valve to control the intake of water

inserting into the tank.

iii. Yokogawa PID controller model type YS1700 for controlling the opening
percentage of the control valve for optimum feedback responses on the plant.

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Level Measurements

Measurement is the estimation of the magnitude of some attribute of an object, such as its
length or weight, relative to a unit of measurement. Measurement usually involves using
a measuring instrument, such as a ruler or scale, which is calibrated to compare the object
to some standard, such as a meter or a kilogram[1]. Measurements are crucial in purposes
such as in science and in engineering. Measurements always have errors and therefore
uncertainties. In fact, the reduction—not necessarily the elimination—of uncertainty is
central to the concept of measurement. Measurement errors are often assumed to be
normally distributed about the true value of the measured quantity[2]. Since accurate
measurement is essential in many fields, and since all measurements are necessarily
approximations, a great deal of effort must be taken to make measurements as accurate as
possible[3]. These errors even though seemed neglectable are crucial in determining the
accumulating costs, the perfections of each products produced and the quality of any
creations. For example, every section of the metal manufacturing process can benefit
from the use of infrared thermometry. These 6 Aug 2008 , Citing Internet Resources:

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement Para 1, line 1,2,3

2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement Para 4, line 1,2,3

3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement Para 1, line 1,2

4 http://www.allbusiness.com/primary-metal-manufacturing/foundries/704860-1.html Para 3,

benefits include higher quality products, increased productivity, reduced energy costs,
enhanced worker safety, reduced downtime, and easy data recording [4] .

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2.1.1 TYPES OF LEVEL MEASUREMENT SENSORS:

Various systems in sensors developments have been introduced to assist in crucial

measurements of level. These sensors are most likely incorporates business obligation
though there are certain sensors provided for non-business or profitable usage and for the
usage in education purposes. There are many physical and application variables that
affect the selection of the optimal level monitoring solution for industrial and / or
commercial processes. Selection is categorized to contact and non-contact

sensor. The selection criteria include the physical: state (liquid, solid or slurry),
temperature, pressure or vacuum, chemistry, dielectric constant of medium, density or
specific gravity of medium, agitation, acoustical or electrical noise, vibration, mechanical
shock, tank or bin size and shape; and the application constraints: price, accuracy,
appearance, response rate, ease of calibration or programming, physical size and
mounting of the instrument, monitoring or control of continuous or discrete (point) levels.
The selection criteria selected in this project is non-contact point level detection or
continuous monitoring of solids and liquids. The sensor types to assist in this particular
criterion are as follows:

i. Capacitance level sensor (also called RF) Possible when the tank wall are metal,
to use a single bare or insulted rod as one capacitor plate and the tank walls as the other.
An interesting application of this type of capacitance probe is in aircraft fuel quantity
indicators. Capacitance switches can be utilized to provide non contact point
measurements of liquid level [5].

II. ULTRASOUND:

Ultrasound echo ranging transducers can be used in either wetted (contact) or non wetted
(non-contact) configurations for continuous measurements of liquid level. An interesting
application of wetted transducers is as depth finders and fish finders for ships and boats.
Non wetted transducers can also be used with bulk materials such as grains and powders
[6]

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III. RADAR:

Microwave sensors are ideal for use in moist, vaporous, and dusty environments as well
as in applications in which temperatures vary. Microwaves (also frequently described as
RADAR), will penetrate temperature and vapor layers that may cause problems for other
techniques, such as ultrasonic. Microwaves are electromagnetic energy and therefore do
not require air molecules to transmit the energy making them useful in vacuums.
Microwaves, as electromagnetic energy, are reflected by objects with high dielectric
properties, like metal and conductive water. Alternately, they are absorbed in various
degrees by low dieletric or insulating mediums such as plastics, glass, paper, many
powders and food stuffs and other solids. Microwave-based sensors are not affected by
fouling of the microwave-transparent glass or plastic window through which the beam is
passed nor by high temperature, pressure, or vibration. These sensors do not require
physical contact with the process material, so the transmitter and receiver can be mounted
a safe distance from the process, yet still respond to the presence or absence of an object.
5,6 Jerry C.Whitaker, “The Electronic Handbook Second Edition”. (Taylor & Francis,2005), pg 1932-1935

Microwave transmitters offer the key advantages of ultrasonic: the presence of a

microprocessor to process the signal provides numerous monitoring, control,
communications, setup and diagnostic capabilities. Additionally, they solve some of the
application limitations of ultrasonic: operation in high pressure and vacuum, high
temperatures, dust, temperature and vapor layers. One major disadvantage of microwave
or radar techniques for level monitoring is the relatively high price of such sensors.

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2.1.2 SELECTION OF LEVEL SENSOR IN THIS PROJECT:

Below level sensor is initially selected to be used in this project:

Figure 2.1 Prosonic M FMU40 Ultrasonic Level Sensor

AREAS OF APPLICATIONS:

• The Prosonic M is used for continuous, non-contact level measurement of liquids,

pastes, and slurries.

• The measurement is not affected by changing media, temperature changes, gas

blankets or vapours.

• The FMR240 with the small (11⁄2") horn antenna is ideally suited for small
vessels. Additionally, it provides an accuracy of ±3 mm.

BENEFITS AT A GLANCE:

• 2-wire technology, low price: A real alternative to differential pressure, floats

and displacers. 2-wire technology reduces wiring costs and allows easy

implementation into existing systems.

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 • Non-contact measurement: Measurement is almost independent from product

properties.

• HART or PROFIBUS PA respectively FOUNDATION Field bus protocol.

2.2 P.I.D CONTROLLER:

P.I.D is a term for P -Proportional, I - Integral, D – Derivative. These terms describe three
basic mathematical functions applied to the error signal , Verror = Vset - Vsensor. This
error represents the difference between where you want to go (Vset), and where you're
actually at (Vsensor). The controller performs the PID mathematical functions on the
error and applies the their sum to a process (motor, heater, etc.). If tuned correctly, the
signal Vsensor should move closer to Vset. Example of P.I.D application analogically is
when a person in a bath operating the water heater. The person will feel the initial heat
dissipated by the heater. The brain will command the desired temperature. The hand will
adjust the water heater adjuster to obtain the desired heated water. This process is
continuous throughout the person bathing. P.I.D controls this type of process but in
automatically conditions. Tuning a system means adjusting three multipliers Kp, Ki and
Kd adding in various amounts of these functions to get the system to behave the way you
want. The table below summarizes the PID terms and their effect on a control system:
Term Math Function Effect on Control System
P KP x Verror Typically the main drive in a control loop, KP
Proportional reduces a large part of the overall error.
I KI x Reduces the final error in a system. Summing
Integral ∫ Verror dt even a small error over time produces a drive
signal large enough to move the system toward
a smaller error.
D KD x dVerror / Counteracts the KP and KI terms when the
Derivative dt output changes quickly. This helps reduce
overshoot and ringing. It has no effect on final
error.

1. SET Kp : Starting with Kp=0, KI=0 and KD=0, increase KP until the output starts

8
 overshooting and ringing significantly.

2. SET Kd : Increase Kd until the overshoot is reduced to an acceptable level.

3. SET Ki :Increase Ki until the final error is equal to zero [7].

THE PROPORTIONAL TERM (KP):

The proportional term makes a change to the output that is proportional to the current
error value. The proportional response can be adjusted by multiplying the error by a
constant Kp, called the proportional gain.

The proportional term is given by:

Where

• Pout: Proportional output

• Kp: Proportional Gain a tuning parameter Gain,

• e: Error = SP − PV

• t: Time or instantaneous time (the present)

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 Figure 2.2 Graph response due to P value alterations

CHANGE OF RESPONSE FOR VARYING KP:

A high proportional gain results in a large change in the output for a given change in the
error. If the proportional gain is too high, the system can become unstable. In contrast, a
small gain results in a small output response to a large input error, and a less responsive
(or sensitive) controller. If the proportional gain is too low, the control action may be too
small when responding to system disturbances. In the absence of disturbances pure
proportional control will not settle at its target value, but will retain a steady state error
that is a function of the proportional gain and the process gain. Despite the steady-state
offset, both tuning theory and industrial practice indicate that it is the proportional term
that should contribute the bulk of the output change.

II. THE INTEGRAL TERM (KI):

The contribution from the integral term is proportional to both the magnitude of the error
and the duration of the error. Summing the instantaneous error over time (integrating the
error) gives the accumulated offset that should have been corrected previously. The
accumulated error is then multiplied by the integral gain and added to the controller
output. The magnitude of the contribution of the integral term to the overall control action
is determined by the integral gain, Ki.

The integral term is given by:

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 Figure 2.3 Graph response due to I value alterations

Change of response for varying Ki

Where

• Iout: Integral output

• Ki: Integral Gain a tuning parameter Gain,

• e: Error = SP − PV

• τ: Time in the past contributing to the integral response

The integral term (when added to the proportional term) accelerates the movement of the

process towards setpoint and eliminates the residual steady state error that occurs with a

steady-state proportional only controller. However, since the integral term is responding

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to accumulated errors from the past, it can cause the present value to overshoot the set
point value (cross over the setpoint and then create a deviation in the other direction).

For further notes regarding integral gain tuning and controller stability

III. THE DERIVATION TERM (KD):

The rate of change of the process error is calculated by determining the slope of the error
over time (i.e. its first derivative with respect to time) and multiplying this rate of change
by the derivative gain Kd. The magnitude of the contribution of the derivative tude term
to the overall control action is termed the derivative gain, Kd.

The derivative term is given by:

Figure 2.4 Graph response due D value alterations

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Change of response for varying Kd Where

• Dout: Derivative output

• Kd: Derivative Gain, a tuning parameter

• e: Error = SP − PV

• t: Time or instantaneous time (the present)

The derivative term slows the rate of change of the controller output and this effect is
most noticeable close to the controller setpoint. Hence, derivative control is used to
reduce the magnitude of the overshoot produced by the integral component and improve
the combined controller-process stability. However, differentiation of a signal amplifies
noise in the signal and thus this term in the controller is highly sensitive to noise in the
error term, and can cause a process to become unstable if the noise and the derivative
gain are sufficiently large.

2.3 SUMMARY:

The proportional, integral, and derivative terms are summed to calculate the output of the
PID controller. Defining u(t) as the controller output, the final form of the PID algorithm
is:

Where the tuning parameters are:

Proportional gain, Kp

Larger values typically mean faster response since the larger the error, the larger the
proportional term compensation. An excessively large proportional gain will lead to
process instability and oscillation. Integral gain, Ki Larger values imply steady state

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errors are eliminated more quickly. The trade-off is larger overshoot: any negative error
integrated during transient response must be integrated away by positive error before
reaching steady state. Derivative gain, Kd Larger values decrease overshoot, but slow
down transient response and may lead to instability due to signal noise amplification in
the differentiation of the error.

2.4 LOOP TUNING:

Tuning a control loop is the adjustment of its control parameters (gain/proportional band,
integral gain/reset, derivative gain/rate) to the optimum values for the desired control
response. Stability (bounded oscillation) is a basic requirement, but beyond that, different
systems have different behavior, different applications have different requirements, and
requirements may conflict with one another. Some processes have a degree of non-
linearity and so parameters that work well at full-load conditions don't work when the
process is starting up from no-load; this can be corrected by gain scheduling (using
different parameters in different operating regions). PID controllers often provide
acceptable control using default tunings, but performance can generally be improved by
careful tuning, and performance may be unacceptable with poor tuning. PID tuning is a
difficult problem, even though there are only three parameters and in principle is simple
to describe, because it must satisfy complex criteria within the limitations of PID control.
There are accordingly various methods for loop tuning, and more sophisticated
techniques are the subject of patents; this section describes some traditional manual
methods for loop tuning.

2.4.1 STABILITY:

If the PID controller parameters (the gains of the proportional, integral and derivative
terms) are chosen incorrectly, the controlled process input can be unstable, i.e. its output
diverges, with or without oscillation, and is limited only by saturation or mechanical
breakage. Instability is caused by excess gain, particularly in the presence of significant
lag. Generally, stability of response (the reverse of instability) is required and the process

14
must not oscillate for any combination of process conditions and set points, though
sometimes marginal stability (bounded oscillation) is acceptable or desired.

2.4.2 OPTIMUM BEHAVIOR:

The optimum behavior on a process change or set point change varies depending on the
application. Two basic requirements are regulation (disturbance rejection – staying at a
given set point) and command tracking (implementing set point changes) – these refer to
how well the controlled variable tracks the desired value. Specific criteria for command
tracking include rise time and settling time. Some processes must not allow an overshoot
of the process variable beyond the set point if, for example, this would be unsafe. Other
processes must minimize the energy expended in reaching a new set point.

2.4.3 OVERVIEW OF METHODS:

There are several methods for tuning a PID loop. The most effective methods generally
involve the development of some form of process model, then choosing P, I, and D based
on the dynamic model parameters. Manual tuning methods can be relatively inefficient,
particularly if the loops have response times on the order of minutes or longer. The choice
of method will depend largely on whether or not the loop can be taken "offline" for
tuning, and the response time of the system. If the system can be taken offline, the best
tuning method often involves subjecting the system to a step change in input, measuring
the output as a function of time, and using this response to determine the control
parameters.

2.4.4 MANUAL TUNING:

If the system must remain online, one tuning method is to first set Ki and Kd values to
zero. Increase the Kp until the output of the loop oscillates, then the Kp should be set to
approximately half of that value for a "quarter amplitude decay" type response. Then
increase Ki until any offset is correct in sufficient time for the process. However, too
much Ki will cause instability. Finally, increase Kd, if required, until the loop is acceptably

15
quick to reach its reference after a load disturbance. However, too much Kd will cause
excessive response and overshoot. A fast PID loop tuning usually overshoots slightly to
reach the setpoint more quickly; however, some systems cannot accept overshoot, in
which case an over-damped closed-loop system is required, which will require a Kp
setting significantly less than half that of the Kp setting causing oscillation.

2.5 MODIFICATIONS TO THE PID ALGORITHM

The basic PID algorithm presents some challenges in control applications that have been
addressed by minor modifications to the PID form.

2.6 INTEGRAL WINDUP:

For more details on this topic, see Integral windup. One common problem resulting from
the ideal PID implementations is integral windup, where a large change in set point
occurs (say a positive change) and the integral term accumulates a significant error
during the rise (windup), thus overshooting and continuing to increase as this
accumulated error is unwound. This problem can be addressed by:

• Initializing the controller integral to a desired value

• Increasing the setpoint in a suitable ramp
• Disabling the integral function until the PV has entered the controllable region
• Limiting the time period over which the integral error is calculated
• Preventing the integral term from accumulating above or below pre-determined
bounds

Freezing the integral function in case of disturbances

If a PID loop is used to control the temperature of an electric resistance furnace, the
system has stabilized and then the door is opened and something cold is put into the
furnace the temperature drops below the setpoint. The integral function of the controller
tends to compensate this error by introducing another error in the positive direction. This

16
can be avoided by freezing of the integral function after the opening of the door for the
time the control loop typically needs to reheat the furnace. Replacing the integral function
by a model based part Often the time-response of the system is approximately known.
Then it is an advantage to simulate this time-response with a model and to calculate some
unknown parameter from the actual response of the system. If for instance the system is
an electrical furnace the response of the difference between furnace temperature and
ambient temperature to changes of the electrical power will be similar to that of a simple
RC low-pass filter multiplied by an unknown proportional coefficient. The actual
electrical power supplied to the furnace is delayed by a low-pass filter to simulate the
response of the temperature of the furnace and then the actual temperature minus the
ambient temperature is divided by this low-pass filtered electrical power. Then, the result
is stabilized by another low-pass filter leading to an estimation of the proportional
coefficient. With this estimation, it is possible to calculate the required electrical power
by dividing the set-point of the temperature minus the ambient temperature by this
coefficient.

The result can then be used instead of the integral function. This also achieves a
control error of zero in the steady-state, but avoids integral windup and can give a
significantly improved control action compared to an optimized PID controller. This type
of controller does work properly in an open loop situation which causes integral windup
with an integral function. This is an advantage if, for example, the heating of a furnace
has to be reduced for some time because of the failure of a heating element, or if the
controller is used as an advisory system to a human operator who may not switch it to
closed-loop operation. It may also be useful if the controller is inside a branch of a
complex control system that may be temporarily inactive. Many PID loops control a
mechanical device (for example, a valve). Mechanical maintenance can be a major cost
and wear leads to control degradation in the form of either stiction or a dead band in the
mechanical response to an input signal. The rate of mechanical wear is mainly a function
of how often a device is activated to make a change. Where wear is a significant concern,
the PID loop may have an output dead band to reduce the frequency of activation of the

17
output (valve). This is accomplished by modifying the controller to hold its output steady
if the change would be small (within the defined dead band range). The calculated output
must leave the dead band before the actual output will change. The proportional and
derivative terms can produce excessive movement in the output when a system is
subjected to an instantaneous step increase in the error, such as a large set point change.
In the case of the derivative term, this is due to taking the derivative of the error, which is
very large in the case of an instantaneous step change. As a result, some PID algorithms
incorporate the following modifications: Derivative of output In this case the PID
controller measures the derivative of the output quantity, rather than the derivative of the
error. The output is always continuous (i.e., never has a step change). For this to be
effective, the derivative of the output must have the same sign as the derivative of the
error. Set point ramping In this modification, the set point is gradually moved from its old
value to a newly specified value using a linear or first order differential ramp function.
This avoids the discontinuity present in a simple step change.

2.7 SET POINT WEIGHTING:

Set point weighting uses different multipliers for the error depending on which element
of the controller it is used in. The error in the integral term must be the true control error
to avoid steady-state control errors. This affects the controller's setpoint response. These
parameters do not affect the response to load disturbances and measurement noise.

2.8 Valve

A valve is a device that regulates the flow of materials (gases, fluidized solids, slurries, or
liquids) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are
technically pipe fittings, but usually are discussed separately. Below are specific types of
valve easily obtained in the market:

Specific Valve Types

• 4-stroke cycle engine valves: an application of piston valve.

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• A spin valve, a cone-shaped metal part fitted to the cylinder head of an engine.

• Ball cock: often used as a water level controller (cistern).

• Bibcock, provides a connection to a flexible hosepipe

• Blast valve, used to prevent rapid overpressures in a fallout shelter or a bunker.

• Cock, colloquial term for a small valve or a stopcock.

• Demand valve on a diving regulator.

• Double check valve

• Duckbill valve

• Flow control valve: an application which maintains a constant flow rate through
the valve.

• Foot valve: a check valve on the foot of a suction line to prevent backflow.

• Freeze valve: in which freezing and melting the fluid creates and removes a plug

of frozen material acting as the valve.

• Gas pressure regulator regulates the flow and pressure of a gas.

• Heart valve: regulates blood flow through the heart in many organisms.

• Leaf valve: one-way valve consisting of a diagonal obstruction with an opening

covered by a hinged flap.

• Pilot valve: regulate flow or pressure to other valves.

• A poppet valve is commonly used in piston engines to regulate the fuel mixture

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 intake and exhaust. The sleeve valve is another valve type used for this purpose.

• A pressure reducing valve (PRV), also called pressure regulator, reduces pressure
to a preset level downstream of the valve.

• A pressure sustaining valve, also called back-pressure regulator, maintains

pressure at a preset level upstream of the valve.

• Presta and Schrader valves are used to hold the air in bicycle tires.

• A Reed valve consists of two or more flexible materials pressed together along
much of their length, but with the influx area open to allow one-way flow, much
like a heart valve.

• A regulator is used in SCUBA diving equipment and in gas cooking equipment

to reduce the high pressure gas supply to a lower working pressure

• Rotary valves and piston valves are parts of brass instruments used to change

their pitch.

• A Rupture Disc is a one time use replaceable valve for rapid pressure relief used

for protecting piping systems from excessive pressure or vacuum. Its is more

reliable than safety valves.

• A saddle valve, where allowed, is used to tap a pipe for a low-flow need.

• A safety valve or relief valve operates automatically at a set differential pressure

to correct a potentially dangerous situation, typically over-pressure.

• Schrader valves are used to hold the air inside automobile tires.

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• Solenoid valve, an electrically controlled hydraulic or pneumatic valve.

• Stopcocks restrict or isolate the flow through a pipe of a liquid or gas.

• Tap (British English), faucet (American English) is the common name for a valve
used in homes to regulate water flow.

• Thermostatic Mixing Valve

• Some trap primers either include other types of valves, or are valves themselves

• Vacuum breaker valves prevent the back-siphonage of contaminated water into

pressurized drinkable water supplies.

• A Heimlich valve is a specific one-way valve used on the end of chest drain tubes
to treat a pneumothorax.

• Rocker valves

• Flipper valves

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2.9 SELECTION OF VALVE IN THIS PROJECT:

Below is the type of valve selected to be used in this project:

Figure 2.5 Flow serve 3200IQ control valve

Features of the LOGIX 3200IQ control valve:

i) Utilizes the HART protocol for two-way communications with the positioner.

ii) Fully powered by 4-20mA current.

iii) Position of actuator defined in either analog or digital signal. In analog source, the
4-20mA signal is converted to percentage. During loop calibration, the signal
corresponding to 0% and 100% are defined and setting of 0% = 4mA / 100% =
20mA is selected.

iv) It is set to ATO (Air-to-open) setting which means giving pressured air to open
the valve.

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 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 PROJECT FLOW AND BLOCK DIAGRAM

After research and studies have been made, this project is carried on based on the process
control flow diagram. The flow diagram in figure 3.1 explains the process of the water
level control using PID controller. At startup, the system will quickly determine the type
of process loop. Selection of the loop is closed single loop process (refer figure 3.2). New
set point is given by the handler (human). This set point is the desired level for the water
to reach. Draining valve which is type open/close valve is put on open at selected degree
of opening thus constantly draining the water at presumably constant rate. This draining
valve is placed underneath the tank flowing into the reservoir tank beneath it as in figure
3.3. The sensor will then measure the current water level in the tank thus sending the
current ampere signal to the PID controller. Depending with the set point given, actions
of percentage of opening on the control valve can be determined. If the set point is higher
than the current water level, the PID controller will send signal to the inlet valve to let the
water into the tank. If the current water level is above the set point (overflow), the opened
drain valve which is constantly draining the water will send feedbacks to PID controller
via differential level sense of its rate of drainage. The data received will then make the
PID controller to give signal of percentage of closing to the control valve. The process of
draining and flowing of water into the tank is continuous to reach the desired set point
with the aim of ideal process response such as in figure 3.4.

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24
Figure 3.1 Flow diagram of PID controller on water level

25
3.2 PROJECT PROCEDURE

This project has a distinctive type of process. It is because of the requirements on

operating procedure from the PID controller unit. As shown from figure 3.5 which also
can be refer to YS1700 user’s manual title: YS1500 indicating controller YS1700
programmable indicating controller operation guide, page 10, hardware has to be
installed and wired before commencing the tuning and program. Options of two either to
create own user program or uses the factory settings of multifunction modes which are
the single loop, cascade mode or selector mode. The next procedure needed the user to
set-up operation engineering constant before commencing the tuning of the PID
controller YS1700. The nature of this system is constantly online. All process and tuning
has to be done while the plant is online meaning the whole plant is moving for the PID to
acknowledge all the equipments, field devices connected to the plant. No other means can
be done to tune and design the system without the plant being online.

LIMITATIONS OF PID CONTROL:

While PID controllers are applicable to many control problems, and often perform
satisfactorily without any improvements or even tuning, they can perform poorly in some
applications, and do not in general provide optimal control. The fundamental difficulty
with PID control is that it is a feedback system, with constant parameters, and no direct
knowledge of the process, and thus overall performance is reactive and a compromise –
while PID control is the best controller with no model of the process,[2] better
performance can be obtained by incorporating a model of the process.

The most significant improvement is to incorporate feed-forward control with knowledge

about the system, and using the PID only to control error. Alternatively, PIDs can be

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modified in more minor ways, such as by changing the parameters (either gain scheduling
in different use cases or adaptively modifying them based on performance), improving
measurement (higher sampling rate, precision, and accuracy, and low-pass filtering if
necessary), or cascading multiple PID controllers.

PID controllers, when used alone, can give poor performance when the PID loop gains
must be reduced so that the control system does not overshoot, oscillate or hunt about the
control set point value. They also have difficulties in the presence of non-linearities, may
trade off regulation versus response time, do not react to changing process behavior (say,
the process changes after it has warmed up), and have lag in responding to large
disturbances.

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